Uganda hailed as the first African country to commission special heritage items; Backcloth and Ankole cattle showcased in Atlanta

In her remarks at the launch of ‘Bark Cloth To The Roots’’ event which took place at the African Textile Museum in Atlanta, Georgia on February 26, Ms. Ahneva Hilson the proprietor of the museum recognized Uganda as the first African country to donate heritage specifically for the museum which is a major step in the direction of bridging the gap and creating an enabling environment of doing business in Africa.

The Ugandan Embassy in Washington in conjunction with the African Textile Museum held an event to showcase Uganda’s cultural heritage to recognize theBlack History Month which is commemorated during the month of February each year.

The city of Atlanta, Georgia in USA has for long been considered the ‘Cultural Mecca’’ due to its being the birth place of the late Martin Luther King Junior  and also its rich history for black people in the fashion and art industry.

At this museum in the New Black Wall Street Market in Stone crest, the event this year put a spotlight on the Uganda bark cloth as the oldest known African textile which was declared as a masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage and also added at the world heritage list by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.

‘Culture is often the key that opens the door in doing business’’ Hilson added emphasizing that there has really been a yawning gap between cultures of Africans and Americans of African descent, despite the deep cultural heritage they share plus also recognizing this as an important part of their joint heritage.

The Ankole long-horn cow whose horns can measure up to 8 feet in length also the oldest indigenous cattle breed found in the western part of central Uganda cattle corridor is also one of Uganda’s other items on the World Heritage List.

The Ugandan embassy at this event donated two extra-large pairs of polished Ankole cow horn and also commissioned two bark cloth installations which were donated to the museum from a Ugandan-born British national Jose Hendo who has for 20years now specialized the craft of using bark cloth in renewable and recyclable materials and also exhibiting them around the world.

In her virtual speech from London, Ms. Hendo expressed  her gratitude to the Ugandan government and informed the guests that this exhibition will put a spotlight on this culture in crisis and will garner international support for the preservation of this heritage.

According to Hendo, due to the growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry, there was an increasing demand for natural materials and as a result the cultural intellectual property and heritage is being infringed upon as the fashion industry attempts to find alternative textiles giving an example of Uganda losing nearly 8 million acres of forest since 1990 bringing a devastating effect on the livelihood of bark cloth manufacturers.

The event that was also recognized as a major step in bridging the gap between Americans of African descent and Africa was graced by members of Atlanta high society, government officials and celebrities.